Valved siphon and starter branch therefor



Nov. 29, 1955 E. w. LARKIN 2,725,070

VALVED SIPHON AND STARTER BRANCH THEREFOR Filed Oct. 19, 1951 INVENTOR .Z-IF/VEST 14 '(fl/Wr/A/ United States Patent VALVED SIPHON AND STARTER BRANCH THEREFOR Ernest W. Larlkin, Washington, N. C.

Application October 19, 1951, Serial No. 252,060

1 Claim. (Cl. 137-151) This invention relates to siphoning devices. More particularly, the invention has reference to a siphoning device equipped with a branch tube for starting the same, and having a valve coacting with said branch tube in such a way as to be capable of being closed when suction is set up within the branch tube, thus to initiate a flow of liquid through the device, and be opened immediately thereafter to efiect discharge of the flowing liquid through the outlet end of the siphoning device without passage of the liquid through the branch tube.

A common siphon will generally require that one apply his lips directly to the siphon tube, to set up a suction within said tube and initiate a flow of liquid therethrough. This is unsanitary, and hence undesirable, particularly when the liquid to be siphoned is intended for human consumption, as would be the case, for example, where the siphoning device is being used as a cream separator.

It is, accordingly, one important object of the present invention to provide a branch starter tube for siphoning devices, which will be so arranged relative to the main tube of the device as to prevent the fiow of liquid through the starter tube at all times.

Another important object is to provide a valve applicable to the discharge end of a siphoning device, and adapted to be closed when suction is being set up within the starter tube, so as to set up suction throughout the entire length of the siphoning device including not only the starter tube but also the main tube, and further adapted to be readily opened as soon as the flow of liquid through the same tube is assured, thus to permit the liquid to be discharged from the siphoning device in the usual manner. The valve in my device, in this connection, is so formed and is so mounted upon the siphoning device as to permit its being manually closed whenever desired, to cut elf the flow of liquid through the main tube.

Yet another important object is to provide a graduated support for the inlet end of a siphoning device, which support is adapted to engage the bottom of a receptacle to be emptied partially of liquid, in amanner operative to space the inlet end of the siphoning tube above the bottom of the receptacle and thereby insure that a predetermined amount of liquid will remain within the receptacle.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section showing a siphoning device formed in accordance with the present invention, a receptacle to which the device is applied being partially broken away;

Figure 2 is an edge elevational view taken from the right of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectioii'a'l view on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a graduated support for the siphoning device.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a receptacle has been generally designated 10, and is adapted to contain a quantity of a liquid 12. In the present instance, I have illustrated by way of example a milk can or container containing a quantity of milk and cream to be separated. However, it will be understood that this showing is merely intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation, and the device is applicable to any receptacle and to any substance contained in said receptacle having sufiicient fluidity to pass through the tubular portion of a siphoning device.

The siphoning device which I have invented includes a main tube generally designated 13. The main tube (Figure 1) is of inverted U-shaped formation, having parallel legs of different lengths that form inlet and outlet end portions respectively, on the tube.

In the present instance, so as to permit the device to be stored in a relatively small area, and also to permit its being readily cleaned, the main tube 13 is of sectional formation. One of the sections may be conveniently termed the inlet section and comprises a riser 14 the lower or inlet end of which is open and is circumferentially notched as at 15. At its other end, the riser 14 is formed integrally with a lateral extension 16. This completes the formation of the inlet section of the main tube 13.

The outlet section of the main tube includes a lateral extension 18 at its upper end receiving and interengaged frictionally and separably with the lateral extension 16 of the inlet section. Integral with the lateral extension 18 is a depending, elongated outlet conduit 20 formed open at its lower end to permit the discharge of liquids flowing through the main tube, the lower end of the outlet conduit 29 being disposed below the inlet end of the riser 14, as is customary in siphon construct-ion.

In spaced relation to the discharge end of the outlet conduit 20, I secure fixedly to the outlet conduit a branch fitting 22. The branch fitting 22 is tubular, and communicates at its lower end with the outlet conduit, through the side wall of the outlet conduit. The branch fitting 22 extends upwardly from its point of connection to the outlet conduit, and is disposed obliquely to the outlet conduit, so as to be arranged at an acute angle to said outlet conduit.

At its upper or free end, the branch fitting 22 is of reduced diameter, and is frictionally and separably engageable in the lower end of an elongated, straight, branch extension tube 24. The branch extension tube is formed open at its opposite ends, and is arranged coaxially with the branch fitting 22. The branch fitting 22 and its associated extension 24 together define a starter branch generally designated 25.

Secured fixedly to theside wall of the outlet conduit 20, at the lower or discharge end of 'said conduit, is a block 26, the outer surface of which is formed with a recess 28 opening through the side of the block remote from the outlet conduit and through the bottom of the block to define an inner wall which is disposed at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the outlet conduit.

The side Walls of the recess 28 extend downwardly below the bottom end of the outlet conduit 20, and are formed with transversely aligned bearing openings receiving the opposite ends of a pivot pin 30.

Rockably mounted upon the pivot pin 30 is a valve generally designated 32. The valve 32 is of one piece formation, and includes obtusely related legs 34 and 36 (Figure 4). The leg 34 constitutes a handle for the valve, while the leg 36 is of generally circular formation, so as to underlie the open lower end of the outlet conduit 20, to serve as a closure for the same.

The valve 32 is swingabl'e between opposite extreme positions one of which is shown in full lines in Figure 4 and the other of which is shown in dotted lines in this figure. In the dotted line position shown in Figure 4, the handle defined by the leg 34 is received in the recess 28, the rear Wall of the recess defining a stop limiting the swinging movement of the valve 32 in this extreme position whereby the leg 36 defining a closure for the discharge end of the tube 13 is swung away from the discharge end to permit unrestricted flow of the liquid 12 syphoned through the tube 13. In the full line position of the valve, the valve closes the lower end of the outlet conduit 20. This is the position of the valve used when a flow of liquid is to be initiated in the siphoning device. The user, in this instance, places his finger against the upper surface of the handle 34 of the valve, and exerts a light downward pressure upon said handle. This is translated into upward movement of the closure member 36 of the valve, so that said closure member caps the outlet conduit at the lower end of the conduit, and seals off said lower end of the conduit tightly.

With the valve held in this position, the user places his mouth against the upper end of the starter branch 25 and sets up a suction within the branch. This sets up a suction throughout the main tube 13, setting up a flow of liquid through the main tube.

As soon as he sets up a suction within the main tube, the user of the device releases the valve 32, and the liquid will then flow freely through the outlet end of the conduit 20, the valve moving to the dotted line position thereof seen in Figure 4.

I believe that in some circumstances, the valve 32 may be so proportioned and mounted as to normally gravitate to the full line position thereof seen in Figure 4. This could be accomplished by having the handle 34 of the valve overbalance the cap or closure portion 36 thereof. This would permit one to set up a suction within the starter branch 35 without the accompanying necessity of holding the valve in the full line position thereof seen in Figure 4. Of course, under the pressure exerted thereagainst by the flowing liquid, the valve will in this instance automatically shift to the dotted line position thereof seen in Figure 4.

It is important to note that no liquid will flow through any portion of the siphoning device touched by the users month, this being a desirable sanitary feature. It may be further noted that the main tube 13 can be closed against the movement of liquid therethrough at any time, merely by swinging of the valve to its closed position. Thus, if the siphoning device is used as a cream separator, the valve can be manually adjusted to its closed position as soon as cream begins to appear in the liquid flowing through the device.

In Figures 1 and 5, I have illustrated a graduated support for the siphoning device, which permits the user to predetermine the amount of liquid left in the receptacle 10. To this end, I provide a support generally designated 38 and including a relatively elongated, straight, standard 40 having graduations 42. The graduations 42 can be of any desired nature, and in the present instance the standard 40 is inch-marked. In other cases, when the graduated support is to be used in association with a receptacle 10 of known capacity, the graduations can be in gallons or in other liquid measures.

Fixedly connected to the upper portion of the standard 40, and spaced vertically of said standard, are clamps 44, which in the present instance are spring clamps of U shape. These are adapted to releasably grip the lower end portion of the riser 14, so as to support the inlet end of the riser above the bottom wall of the receptacle 10 a selected distance.

Obviously, when the siphoning device is put into operation, the liquid contained within the receptacle 10 will be emptied from the receptacle only to a predetermined extent selected by adjustment of the graduated support longitudinally of the riser 14. The purpose of the notches 15 is to permit the siphoning device to be placed directly in engagement with the bottom wall of a receptacle, when the graduated support is not being used. In this instance, the liquid will flow through the several notches. In such a case, when the siphoning device is being used as a cream separator, the notches themselves may serve to cut ofi the fiow of liquid when cream begins to enter the main tube, since the cream tends to clog the vents or notches when said cream is of a high degree of thickness.

The invention is believed to possess certain important characteristics, and it may be worthwhile to note these characteristics briefly. One important characteristic is the construction which I have devised, which permits the siphoning device to be manufactured at relatively low cost, due to the simple arrangement of the component parts thereof. This, it may be noted, is achieved while still obtaining the added benefits resulting from the provision of I a starter branch and a valved member at the lower or discharge end of the device.

Further, the siphoning device is one which is applicable to many liquids and to receptacles of varying kinds. Thus, the device can be used as a cream separator if desired. Further, the device can be used to empty casks or kegs which contain a liquid having considerable dregs. In such cases, the graduated support 38 is positioned upon the riser 14, and is adjusted longitudinally of the riser to effect emptying of the liquid from the keg only down to a predetermined level, so that all residues and dregs are left within the cask.

It is believed clear that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor changes in construction that may be permitted Within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a device for syphoning liquid of the type having a main syphon tube including inlet and outlet ends adapted to be disposed interiorly and exteriorly of a container from which a liquid is to be drawn and a tubular starter branch having one end in communication with said main tube adjacent the outlet end thereof; a block carried by the side wall of said tube at the outlet end thereof and having a recess formed therein opening through the bottom and side of the block remote from the tube to define an inner wall in said block disposed obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said tube, a one-piece valve having obtusely related legs pivotally mounted on said block to swing between opposite extreme positions in one of which it closes and in the other of which it opens said outlet end of said tube, one of said legs defining a closure for the end of said tube outlet when said valve is swung to said one extreme position, and the other of said legs defining a handle for operating said valve, the inner wall in said block defining a stop for said handle as said valve is swung to said other extreme position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 25,544 Cook Sept. 20, 1859 498,657 Jacoby May 30, 1893 786,150 Powers Mar. 28, 1905 962,624 Cook June 28, 1910 1,195,864 Starr Aug. 22, 1916 1,663,840 Havelick Mar. 27, 1928 1,762,517 Larson June 10, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 63,147 Germany 1892 

